Circuit breaker



March 13, 1951 C. L. BRQWNLOW CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Feb. 28, 1946 INVENTOR M &

T'QMW ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 13,1951 2,545,256

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cmoorr BREAKER Cecil L. Brownlow, Bartlesville, Okla, assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, kla., a corporation of Delaware Application February 28, 1946, Serial N 0. 650,992

6 Claims. (Cl. 102-22) The invention relates to seismographing and, depth and at a diameter depending upon more particularly, to breaking the electric cirprospecting requirements. The hole may be surcuit which fires the charge in case of accidental rounded by a bank I2 to protect it from surface ,iblowout of the firing wires from the drill hole. water. It will be understood that a plurality of I In seismographing it is the custom to drill a such prospecting holes are usually driven and number of holes in the ground throughout the fired, one at a time. The high tension power :area being prospected. Whenever this area contransmission line indicated by 49 is shown near .tains a high tension electric power transmission the hole It). The insulated low tension lead wires 'line, one or more of the drill holes are apt to he I3 extend from the circuit breaker I4 down into rather close under the transmission line. Occahole Ii! to explosive ll. The circuit br aker I4 sionally the wires carrying the current to the may be located on atruck (not shown) which may ,explosive in the hole are accidentally blown out also carry the battery, or other source of elecofthe hole and lodged over the high tension tricity I5, and the key I 6 for closing the circuit [transmission line, causing danger to, and possible to explode the charge I I. :electrocution of, the operator firing the charge. The circuit breaker or catapult I4 comprises 2.

According to a preferred form of the present base I! having a fulcrum pivot I8 pivotally supiIIVGHtlOII, an inexpensive snap-acting catapult or porting a throwing arm IS. The throwing arm circuit breaker is placed in circuit with the ex- I9 is biased to move upwardly under a tension plosive-firing wires. This catapult is controlled spring secured to the end of the arm I9 and "by a rope disposed over the mouth of the drill 20 to the base. Arm I9 is held down against the hole. A blow-out acting on the rope springs the force of spring by a catch or latch 21 having a catapult which automatically breaks the firing shoulder 22 engaging over the throwing arm I9. circuit and throws the ends of the wires well A line 23 connecting th free end of catch 2| is clear of the operator, and thus prevents high disposed over the mouth of hole I0 and connected ivoltage from getting near the operator. 25 to a weight 25. If desired, the rope 23 and lead [The principal object of thi i v tion i t wires I3 may be twisted or tied together at their I provide means for breaking a low tension circrossing point 2'! although this is not necessary. .cuit when danger of contact with a high tension The t wing end of arm [9 has a seat comcircuit becomes imminent. Numerous other obprising disc 28 and a p 29 about which s jects and advantages will be apparent to those 30 loosely disposed a closed loop 30 formed by twistskilled in the art. ing the free ends of both wires I3 together as Y The invention also consists in certain new and shown. The free ends of wires I3 are engaged in original features and combinations hereinafter spring clips 3I mounted on base I'I. These clips set forth and claimed. 3I have binding posts 32 connected to wires 33 Although the novel features which are believed 35 in circuit with y and ic rce '5- to be characteristic of this invention will be par- In operation, the apparatus is connected as -ticularly pointed out in the claims appended shown and the charge II is fired by the operator -hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and closing the key I6. Ordinarily the charge II goes advantages, and the manner in which it may be off without blowing the wires I3 out of the hole I carried out, may be better understood by re- Ill. The results are recorded by seismographic ,fe'rring to the following description taken in conapp tu (not Shown) n the us l Way.

nection with the accompanying drawings forming However, should the explosive charge II accia part hereof, in which the single figure repredentally blow out of the hole In carrying wires ,sents, partly diagrammatically, a protecting sys- I3 out of the hole, a pull will be exerted on rope tem according to the invention. 23 which swings latch 2I to the right, releasing In the following description and in the claims, throwing arm l9 under the force of stifi spring various details will be identified by specific names 29. The device operates with a snap or rat for convenience, but they are intended to be as p action, the p 9 moving p ly W h generic in their application as the art will perconsiderable force and velocity. This movement mit. not only pulls the free ends of the wires I3 out In the drawings accompanying and forming of clips 3!, but throws these wires and loop 30 part of this specification, certain specific disclear of the base I4 and the truck on which the closure of the invention is made for purposes of apparatus is mounted. These wires and loop 30 explanation, but it will be understood that the. may be thrown as much as six to ten feet away details may be modified in various respects withfrom the truck. Thus before the lead wires I3 outdeparture from the broad aspect of the in- "c n be thrown across the high tension trans- .vention mission line 40, the low tension circuit is broken In the drawing the drill hole is indicated by and the loop 30 and ends of the lead wires are HI and the explosive charge by II. It will be thrown clear of the truck and operator, thus understood that the hole In will be drilled to a t p o e op d truck f om in u y due to high tension electricity from the transmission line 40.

Thus an inexpensive circuit breaker system is provided in which the looped wires may be said to form one pair of contacts and the spring clips on the base the other pair of contacts.

This circuit breaker is operative to breakthe low tension circuit before it accidentally becomes subjected to dangerous high tension electricity. It not only breaks the circuit but projects the dangerous lead wires entirely clear of the firing apparatus and of the operator and truck. lhe force imparted to the wires is such "that they act as relatively free or captive missiles or projectiles to the extent of being thrown very fast through :the .air away from the truck. The device is inexpensive to1construct, easy to connect in'circuit and use, and is reliable in operation.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that yar-ious omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. What is claimed is:

1. A circuit breaker comprising a base, a

th fOWing bar, a fulcrum on said base for said bar, a spring urging said bar away from said base, a catch pivoted to said base having a shoulder engaging over said bar to hold said bar against the stress of said spring, a pin carried by said bar, terminals carried by said base, a

plurality of wires having their ends twisted together to form a loop with free ends, said loop being disposed over said pin and said free ends being connected to said terminals, and means for operating said catch to release the bar, said bar .carrying said free ends away from said terminals and throwing said loop clear of said base.

, 2. A circuit breaker comprising a base, a; throwing bar, .a fulcrum on said base for-said bar, a spring for moving said bar relative to said, base, a catch engaging said bar to hold said -bar against the stress of said spring, a seat carried by said bar, a terminal carried by said base, a conductor having a portion engaging said seat and having a free end connected to said terminal,

and means for operating said catch to suddenly releasethe bar, said bar carrying said free end away from said terminal and throwing it as a;

relatively free missile clear of said base.

3. A safety system for use in seismographing and the like, comprising a base, a, throwing bar, a fulcrum on said base for said throwing bar, a-spring for urging said bar away from said base,

a catch holding said bar against the stress of 4.. A safety system for .use inseismographing and'tli: like, comprising a base, a throwing'bar, laiiilicrum on said base. for said throwing bar, a spring .for mtg-iris said "bar away "from said base, ,a catch pivoted to said base and having av shoulder holding said bar against the stress of said 4 spring, a pin carried by said bar, terminals on said base, lead wires twisted to form a loop having free ends, said lead wires being connected to the charge "in the drill hole, said loop being dlsposed over said pin with said free ends connected to said terminals, a circuit connected to said terminals, said circuit including a key and a sourceof electricity for firing the charge, a line connected to said catch and disposed in proximity to .said'drill hole and adapted to pull said catch upon accidental blowout, said throwing bar, when released, pulling said free ends from said terminals'and throwing them clear of said base.

5. In a system of seismographing wherein an explosive charge is located in a drill hole in the ground, safety apparatus for firing said charge, said apparatus including firing wires leading to said .charge, a source .of electricity to explode the charge, a circuit-interrupting device comprising a base, terminals on said base connected to said source on the onehand and to said wires on the other, a propulsion member, said circuit-interrupting device having a source of potential energy available to impart sudden movement to said propulsion member, a trip member for releasing said energy, said wires being disengageably disposed on said propulsion member, said circuitinterrupting device being located remote from said drill hole, a line connected to said trip member and disposed over said drill hole so as to be actuated by the accidental blowing out of said charge from said drill hole, said line serving to operate said trip member, whereby to cause said propulsion memberto remove said wires from saidterminals and to throw said wires clear of said base.

6. In a system for exploding a charge located in a drill hole in the ground, a catapult located remote from the drill hole, said catapult comprising a base, a throwing member mounted onsaid base, a power member in which potential energy is stored, said power member also being mounted on said base, said power member having driving engagement with said throwing member, a control ,member for suddenly releasing said potential en- "ergy to impart an abrupt movement tosaidLthrd-yving member; said system also comprisinganelec- .tric circuit, saidcir-cuit including firing wiring leading to said charge and a source of electricity ,to explode thecharge, said circuit including a conductorhaving a relatively movable portion engagings'aid throwing member and a relatively REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES'PATENTS "Number Name "Date 941,852 Broadwater Nov.'30, 1909 2,407,442 Parr Sept. 10, 194:6. 

